Berthier rifle
| Berthier carbine M1916 | |
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| general information | |
| Military designation: | Carabine Berthier modèle 1916 |
| Country of operation: | France |
| Developer / Manufacturer: | Emile Berthier |
| Manufacturer country: | France |
| Weapon Category: | Carabiner |
| Furnishing | |
| Overall length: | 945 mm |
| Weight: (unloaded) | 3 kg |
| Technical specifications | |
| Caliber : | 8 × 50 mm R Lebel |
| Possible magazine fillings : | 5 cartridges |
| Ammunition supply : | integrated box magazine, loading frame |
| Fire types: | Single fire |
| Visor : | Folding visor |
| Closure : | Cylinder lock |
| Charging principle: | Bolt action rifle |
| Lists on the subject | |
The Berthier rifles and carbines were a further development of the Lebel M1886 rifle . Like the Lebel rifle, they had a cylinder lock , the tubular magazine was replaced by a box magazine that initially held 3 and later 5 rounds of the French army cartridges of that time. They were used from 1890, in the First and Second World Wars , later in the Indochina War and in the Algerian War until the 1960s.
Development, technology
After the introduction of the repeating rifle model 1888 with a box magazine in Germany, the artillery commission in France was entrusted with the further development of the Lebel 1886 rifle. At the same time, Émile Berthier, a civil engineer for the French state railway in Algeria, developed a variant of the Lebel rifle with a revised Kropatschek bolt system, which locks directly behind the cartridge chamber and in which the locking elements are offset by 90 degrees compared to those of the Lebel rifle (they are positioned when the bolt is open in contrast to the Lebel rifle on the side of the breech). A Mannlicher system magazine with a loading frame was provided for loading the weapon . Since Berthier's design was judged to be superior to that of the Artillery Commission, the Atelier de construction de Puteaux (APX) produced ten prototypes of Berthier's development.
All variants produced in series, carbines and infantry rifles up to the 07/15 model , fired the 8 × 50 mm Lebel cartridges and had box magazines that were loaded with 3-shot loading frames. In later models 5-shot loading frames were used.
All Berthier rifles had folding sights in which the range of fire adjustable on the flap was adapted to the barrel length and the type of cartridge of the weapon.
ammunition
The first Berthier rifles fired the 8 × 50 mm R-Lebel cartridge with a round head bullet (balle M). From 1898 the storey was replaced by a pointed storey (balle D). With this projectile with a weight of 12.8 g, a longer firing range was achieved. From 1932 on, a more powerful cartridge (1932N) was introduced, which could only be fired in later Berthier rifles marked with an N at the base of the barrel. This increased the initial speed of the projectile from 630 m / s to 700 m / s.
With the Fusil M 1916 , a shooting cup could be placed on the barrel with which a rifle grenade , the Grenade à Fusil VB , could be fired. The shooting distance was up to 170 m with a fragmentation effect of up to 100 m.
The weapons, which were changed from 1934 to the Fusil Mle 1907/15 M 34, fired the rimless 7.5 × 54 mm MAS cartridge .
Carabiner
Carabine de Cavalerie Modèle 1890 Type 1 : The first serially produced carabiner for the cavalry, total length 945 mm, barrel 453 mm, weight 3 kg, was equipped with a carrying strap; the bolt handle was bent down as the weapon was carried on the back. Between 1890 and 1904, the Manufacture d'armes de Saint-Étienne (MAS) and the Manufacture d'armes de Châtellerault (MAC) produced around 200,000 copies.
The Carabine de Cavalerie Modèle 1890 2ème Type was a revised and revised variant of the first model.
Carabine de Cuirassier Modèle 1890 : Variant made for the cuirassiers (heavy cavalry). Total length 952 mm, barrel 453 mm, weight 2.98 kg. 20,000 copies of this variant were made at the Manufacture d'armes de Châtellerault (MAC) in 1891.
Carabine de Gendarmerie Modèle 1890 : To equip the police units, an estimated 50,000 model 1890 carbines were manufactured between 1891 and 1893 , total length 945 mm. They had a planting device for the saber bayonet M 1890 (Epée-Baïonnette Mle 1890) with a total length of 515 mm.
Mousqueton d'Artillerie Modèle 1892 : The weapon corresponded to the Carabine de Gendarmerie Mle 1890 except for the attachment device for the saber bayonet M 1892 and was initially used for arming the marine infantry and mountain artillery of France. Other troops were later armed with it. Total length 945 mm, barrel 453 mm, weight 3 kg. Overall, over 600,000 pieces were produced at MAS and MAC from 1892 to 1917.
Mousqueton Mle. 1892 Modifié 1916 (also Carabine Berthier modèle 1916): The weapon was a modification of the Mousqueton d'Artillerie Modèle 1892 . It was re-stocked and equipped with a Mannlicher magazine system for 5-round loading frames.
Infantry rifles
Fusil Mle 1902 de Tirailleur Indochinois . Since the Colonial Ministry was not responsible for arming the colonial troops, the troops were not re-armed when the Mle 1886 Lebel rifle was released for financial reasons , but instead kept the Mle 1874 "Gras" rifle . From 1901 they were equipped with a version of the Carabine de Gendarmerie Mle 1890 with an extended barrel. Length of the weapon 1,225 m, barrel 633 mm, weight 3.6 kg. The Epée-Baïonnette Mle was used on the weapon in 1902 .
Fusil Colonial Mle 1907 . To arm the Tirailleur Sénégalais in the French colonies in Africa, the Fusil Colonial Mle 1907 was developed from 1904 , also known as the Fusil de Tirailleur Sénégalais Mle 1907 . Length of the weapon 1.306 m, barrel 803 mm, weight 3.81 kg. The Epée-Baïonnette Mle was used on the weapon in 1907 . From 1907 all colonial troops, with the exception of the Tirailleur Indochinois , were armed with the Fusil Colonial Model 1907 . As with the carabiners, the bolt handle was bent downwards.
Fusil Mle 1907/15 The weapon corresponds to the Fusil Colonial Mle 1907 except for details (modified front sight and visor, straight bolt handle ) . 435,000 of the weapon were produced.
Fusil Modèle 1916 : The structure of the weapon corresponded to the Mousqueton Mle. 1892 Modifié 1916 , it was also re-operated and equipped with the magazine for 5- round loading frames. Length of the weapon 1.306 m, barrel length 803 mm, weight 3.81 kg. The Epée-Baïonnette Mle 1886/1915 was used as a bayonet . With the Fusil M 1916 , a shooting cup for firing grenades could be attached (see ammunition).
Fusil Mle 1907/15 M 34 . In 1934, 65,000 of the Fusil Mle 1907/15 were modified to fire the new rimless 7.5 × 54 mm MAS cartridge. The barrel length of the modified weapon was 570 mm, length of the weapon 1.08 m, weight 3.68 kg. The magazine was replaced by a 5-round Mauser magazine, which could be loaded with loading strips . The sights were adapted to the new ammunition, the maximum firing range of the weapon was 900 m.
Fusil Mle 1902 M35 . From 1935, the Fusil Mle 1902 de Tirailleur Indochinois was modified to fire the 7.5 × 54 mm MAS cartridge.
Use of the Berthier weapons
The weapons were used in the Turkish-Greek War of 1896/97 , in World War I, in the Rif War (1921–1926) in the Spanish Civil War , in World War II, in the Indochina War and in the Algerian War and in various other troop deployments in the colonies of France up to the Used in 1960s.
literature
- David Westwood: Rifles: An Illustrated History of Their Impact , ABC-CLIO, 2005, p. 316, entry: Berthier, "1890 Cavalry Carbine", ISBN 978-1-85109-401-1
- John Walter: Dictionary of Guns & Gunmakers , Volume: B – BZZ, 2019
- WHB Smith, Joseph E. Smith The Book of Rifles , The Stackpole Company, PA
- WHB Smith, Joseph E. Smith Small Arms of the World , 1962, The Stackpole Company, PA
- P. Lorain, R. Marquiset Armes a Feu Françaises Modèles Réglémentaires. Jean Boudriot, Paris 1981, ISBN 2-903178-10-0
Web links
- Le fusil de 8 mm modèle 07-15 at armesfrancaises.free.fr
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Distribution and use in "L'armement français en AFN" Gazette des Armes (French) no. March 220, 1992. Pages 12-16. ( online , accessed September 6, 2019)
- ↑ a b Distribution during World War I, Greece: Berthier Mle 07/15 ( online ) ( accessed on September 6, 2019)
- ↑ a b Distribution in World War II, Czech Republic: "Fusil d'Infanterie Modele 1907/15 (Berthiers)" ( online ) ( accessed on September 6, 2019)
- ↑ a b Technical description of the Carabine Berthier, Fusil 1916 (model M1916) ( [1] )
- ↑ a b John Walter: Dictionary of Guns & Gunmakers Pages B41 – B43 (online PDF 656 KB) ( Memento from 23 August 2019 in the Internet Archive )